The present embodiments relate to small tissue property change detection in magnetic resonance (MR) guided intervention.
MR imaging is used to detect change due to ablation. For example, liver, heart, muscle or kidney is thermally ablated, such as occurs in radio frequency, ultrasound, microwave, or cryogenic ablation therapy. The ablation may cause a change or difference in tissue properties resulting in MR T1 or T2 changes. If sufficiently large, the treated area appears differently in a T1 or T2 weighted image than surrounding, non-treated tissue. However, smaller treated areas may be more difficult to visually detect from a T1 or T2 weighted image. Moving and/or thin tissue structures may make detection of smaller treated areas more difficult. For example, T2-weighted MR sequences have relatively poor signal-to-noise ratio and are sensitive to motion.
For detection of RF ablation treatment areas in the heart, a T1-shortening contrast agent may be used. Using late-enhancement, areas in which residual contrast exists after a waiting period indicate damaged tissue. However, the wait period may be many minutes, making repeatability during an interventional procedure difficult. This difficulty is compounded by the effects of repeated administration of the contrast agents, which may not even be usable for patients with poor renal function.